Acoustic tone conditioner sound enclosure



1966 R. P. MERCURIUS 3,263,769

ACOUSTIC TONE CONDITIONER SOUND ENCLOSURE Filed July 12, 1965 INVENTOR. 24/090412? F jwz'zcyezas United States Patent "ice 3,263,769 ACOUSTIC TONE CONDITIONER SOUND ENCLOSURE Randolph P. Mercurius, Bronx, N.Y., assi'gnor to Rectiliuear Research Corporation, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,146 4 Claims. (Cl. 181-31) This invention relates to audio equipment and more particularly to a sound amplifier system.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a sound system in an acoustical Hi-Fi cabinet utilizing a cone type loud speaker positioned within a tone chamber from which the sound waves are passed into two balancing or equalizing chambers for discharge into opposed angularly related passages that in turn deliver the sound waves into a single conduit for final discharge outwardly of the cabinet, the sound waves emanating from the loud speaker being equalized in their passage through the cabinet.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment ofthe above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of the Hi-Fi" cabinet embodying the invention with interior parts shown in dotted lines.

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view of the cabinet.

FIGURE 3 is a front perspective view with the front panel removed to illustrate interior details of construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a Hi-Fi cabinet made in accordance with the present invention, is of rectangular formation and is defined by side walls 12, 14; a top wall 16; a bottom wall 18; and a rear wall 20, all suitably joined together to form a box-like structure open at the front. A closure panel 22 is fitted to the open front of the cabinet 10 and provides the front wall therefor, the panel 22 being detachably secured in place in any suitable manner.

The panel 22 is formed with a circular cut-out or port 26 adjacent its lower horizontal edge. Mounted on the inner side of the panel 22 in concentric relation to the port 26 is a cone type loud speaker 28. The port 26 is covered with a grill cloth 30. Preferably the vertical diameter of the port 26 lies in the vertical center of the panel 22. In line with the port 26 and above the same is a triangular cut-out or port 32 having itsbase 33 parallel to the upper horizontal edge of the panel 22 and spaced therefrom a distance substantially equal to the distance that the lower port 26 is spaced from the lower horizontal edge of the panel 22, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. As with the port 26, the port 32 is covered with a grill cloth 34.

Provided interiorly of the cabinet 10 is a triangular compartment or tone chamber 36 formed by the bottom wall 18 and partition walls 38, 40. The partition Walls 38, 40 lie in the intersecting diagonal planes of the cabinet 10 and are joined together at the apex of the triangular chamber as at 42 which is in a line coinciding with the line of intersection of the diagonal planes of the cabinet 10, thus placing the same at the center thereof. The partition walls 38, 40 are substantially the same width as the cabinet walls and abut the inner surface of the rear wall to which they are suitably secured. The lower edges of the partition walls 38, 40 are seated re spectively in the lower left and right corners of the 3,263,769 Patented August 2, 1966 cabinet 10 viewing FIGURE 3, and are suitably secured therein. Formed in the lower portion of each of the partition walls 38, 40 is a horizontal transverse row of openings 46, preferably circular and of equal size.

Co-planar respectively with each of the partition walls 38, 40 are battle walls 48, 50, each corresponding in width to the width of the partition walls and with their upper edges seated respectively in the upper left and right corners of the cabinet 10, viewing FIGURE 3, and suitably secured therein. The baffle walls 48, 50 abut the inside surface of the rear wall 20 and are suitably secured thereto. The baflle walls 48, 50 are each of the same length and have their lower horizontal edges equally spaced from the apex line 42, and are also spaced from each other to provide an entrance gap 52, see FIGURE 3.

Rigidly supported by the cabinet rear wall 20 is a hollow, triangular in cross-section, bafile 56 symmetrically positioned with respect to the bafile walls 48, 50 such that the inclined side walls 58, 60 of the bafile 56 are respectively parallel to the bafile walls 48, 50, and the remaining base wall 62 is parallel to the cabinet top wall 16. The baffle 56 is so positioned that when the panel 22 is in place, the outer free end of the baffie will coincide in fitted relation to the triangular port 32. Provided centrally in the top wall 62 of the bafile 56 is an opening 64, preferably circular in form.

With the panel 22 carrying loud speaker 28 placed in position and secured to the cabinet 10, it will be seen that the sound waves in the tone chamber 36 pass through the openings 46 into the balancing or equalizing chambers 66, 68. From the equalizing chambers, the sound waves flow through gap 52 into each of the passages defined by the baffie walls 48, 50 and the bafile 56 and upwardly into the passage between the baffie 56 and the cabinet wall 16, to enter the opening 64 for passage through the hollow baflle 56 to be projected outwardly through the port 32, all as indicated by the arrows in FIGURE 3.

While certain novel features of my invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An acoustic tone conditioner comprising:

(a) a rectangular cabinet having parallel top and bot tom walls, parallel side walls and a rear wall,

(b) a removable closure panel forming the front wall of the cabinet,

(c) a pair of partition walls within the cabinet each lying in a diagonal plane thereof and defining with the bottom wall of the cabinet a closed triangular tone chamber,

(d) outlet passage means at the lower portion of each partition wall,

(e) a pair of halide walls within the cabinet, each coplanar with a corresponding partition wall and having their lower edges spaced therefrom and from each other to provide a horizontal gap therebetween,

(f) a hollow bafile triangular in cross-section positioned centrally between said bafile walls and with each of its inclined sides parallel to an opposed bafile wall and its horizontal wall parallel to said cabinet top wall,

(g) an opening in the horizontal wall of said baffie,

(h) a circular port in said closure panel,

(i) a cone type loud speaker mounted on the inner side of said closure panel in concentric relation to said circular port, and

(j) a triangular port in said closure panel positioned to register with the outer end of said hollow baflle. 2. The acoustic tone conditioner of claim 1, wherein: (a) the lower edges of said partition walls are each seated in a lower corner of said cabinet defined by a side wall and the bottom wall, I

(b) the upper edges of said partition walls being joined on a line coinciding with the line of intersection of the diagonal planes of said rectangular cabinet,

(c) said partition walls being substantially the same width as said cabinetside and bottom walls and abutting the cabinet rear wall and secured thereto, and

(d) said loud speaker in the mounted position of said closure panel on said cabinet being located centrally within said tone chamber.

3. The acoustic tone conditioner of claim 2, wherein:

(a) said bafiie walls are substantially the same width as said partition walls,

(b) the upper edges of said baflie walls each lying in an upper corner of said cabinet defined by a side wall and the top wall,

(c) said baflle walls abutting the cabinet rear wall and secured thereto,

((1) said hollow bafiie being of a length equal to the width of said baflle walls and with its inner end abutting the cabinet rear wall and secured thereto,

(e) the spaced relationship of said hollow bafile to said baflle walls and cabinet top wall defining a 30 triangular passage,

(f) said hollow baffie being centrally and symmetrically positioned between said baffle walls such that the line of juncture of the inclined sides thereof lies in a vertical transverse plane passing through the vertical diameter of said circular port, and

(g) each said baffle wall defining with its opposed partition wall and adjacent cabinet side wall an equalizing chamber.

4. The acoustic tone conditioner of claim 3, including:

(a) a grill cloth covering for said circular and triangular ports, and

(b) said outlet passage means at the lower portion of each partition wall comprising a transverse row of openings closely adjacent to said cabinet bottom wall,

whereby the sound waves within the tone chamber will References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/ 1959 Mercurius 18 l-3l 5/1964 Mares l813l LOUIS J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Examiner. 

1. AN ACOUSTIC TONE CONDITIONER COMPRISING: (A) A RECTANGULAR CABINET HAVING PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, PARALLEL SIDE WALLS AND A REAR WALL, (B) A REMOVABLE CLOSURE PANEL FORMING THE FRONT WALL OF THE CABINET, (C) A PAIR OF PARTITION WALLS WITHIN THE CABINET EACH LYING IN A DIAGONAL PLANE THEREOF AND DEFINING WITH THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE CABINET A CLOSED TRIANGULAR TONE CHAMBER, (D) OUTLET PASSAGE MEANS AT THE LOWER PORTION OF EACH PARTITION WALL, (E) A PAIR OF BAFFLE WALLS WITHIN THE CABINET, EACH COPLANAR WITH A CORRESPONDING PARTITION WALL AND HAVING THEIR LOWER EDGES SPACED THEREFROM AND FROM EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE A HORIZONTAL GAP THEREBETWEEN, (F) A HOLLOW BAFFLE TRIANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION POSITIONED CENTRALLY BETWEEN SAID BAFFLE WALLS AND WITH EACH OF ITS INCLINED SIDES PARALLEL TO AN OPPOSED 